Edge of Night

by Crystal Jordan

  “Don’t friends confide in each other, help each other?” He pinched her clit, scraped it with his talons. “Don’t they, Erin?”

  Her movements faltered, her chin jerking to the side so he couldn’t see her face. “Yes.”

  His heart clenched at that broken whisper. “I know something’s frightening you, sweetheart. Have you talked to anyone about it?”

  “No.” She swallowed.

  “Not even Holly?” He smoothed his palms down her sides and up her torso until he cupped her breasts.

  She shook her head in answer.

  “It sounds even more frightening to be so alone with your fears.” He nuzzled his lips against her shoulder.

  Her inner muscles clenched around him, and their groans echoed in her bedroom. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to think of the most boring topics imaginable. Astronomy, quadratic equations, abstract artwork. Anything but the fact that he needed to come.

  “It might be totally unfounded fear.” The words were so soft that even with his vampiric hearing, he almost missed them.

  Burying his face in the curve of her neck, he breathed in the scent of her skin, her hair. “Maybe. But you don’t have to be alone with it. That’s your choice.”

  He twisted her nipples with slow precision, felt her quiver, her hips pushing back against him. He kept his rhythm measured, undemanding. Beads of sweat gathered at his temples, sliding down his face. He forced down the need to increase his speed, focusing on her.

  “Tell me, sweetheart.” He flicked his tongue against the side of her neck, let his fangs dig in, still rocking into her gently.

  Her head tilted to the side, giving him more access. “I think someone…”

  “Mmm?” Circling his talons against her beaded nipples, he waited. His senses were so acutely tuned to her, he knew she would tell him now—the prolonged sexual stimulation, her fearful isolation, and his unrelenting pressure had worn down her will to fight. Just as he had planned. “Someone is…”

  She reached back to clamp her hands on the sides of his legs. “I think someone’s stalking me.”

  “Ah.” He rolled a fingertip over her clit to give her a quick release, but he didn’t let up on her, building her up again so quickly the relief wouldn’t be much. “Do you know who?”

  The rhythmic pulses of her inner muscles clenching around his dick damn near sent him straight over the edge. Not yet. He jerked his hips back, sliding free of her lush body.

  Her head fell back against his shoulder, her whimper both pleased and despaired. “I-I think so.”

  “Who?”

  “If you get involved in this, you could get hurt. The kind of hurt you can’t heal so easily.” She rolled her head on his shoulder to look at him. “I can’t be responsible for that. I just can’t, Luca.”

  A quick sweep of his arm under her legs and she sprawled across the mattress, her cheeks flushed with desire, her nipples tight, her thighs wet with her own juices. So beautiful, and all his. He smiled at that far-too-possessive thought and shook his head at himself. Taking her nipple into his mouth, he suckled the beaded crest until her back bowed and her fingers knotted in his hair. The sharp tugging was just this side of painful, and that made the experience all the more layered in intensity. He released her breast to nip and bite and suck his way down her body, pausing to lavish attention on every dip and curve in her form. He swirled his tongue around her navel, then settled his shoulders between her thighs to force them wide.

  “Yes, please.” Her heels pressed into his back, urging him on.

  “Who’s stalking you?” he whispered, rubbing his chin against her lower belly.

  She shook her head, her fists balled in the sheets, her eyes tightly closed.

  “I was rather hoping you’d do this the hard way, sweetheart. You have to know a man like me enjoys the challenge.” He batted at her clit, took it between his teeth and sucked.

  With a squeal, she tried to scoot back and close her legs, but he held her down. He buried his tongue in her pussy, drinking her sweet cream and making her writhe on the bed. His talons drifted down her thighs, scoring the skin just enough to sting. She moaned, pushing her hips into his face.

  “Tell me.” He sent the thought to her, and he could say he’d never appreciated the ability to do so quite as much as he did at this moment. “Tell me who scares you.”

  The choked sounds coming from her only made him push her further. He retracted his claws, and plunged his fingers into her pussy while his mouth settled on her clit. “Tell me, Erin, and I’ll make you come so many times you’ll beg me to stop.”

  That promise earned him a whimper. “Someone I used to date, before I met you.”

  “Mmm-hmm,” he hummed against her clitoris, and she sobbed out another release, her pussy fisting around his thrusting finger. A wave of her energy crashed over him and he shuddered, almost coming onto the sheets. “His name, sweetheart. Give me his name.”

  “Asher,” she moaned, then screamed when he pressed his thumb into her ass. “Oh my God. Oh my God, Luca!” He pulled out of her anus, then thrust back in. She squealed. “His name is Asher Kondan, and please don’t stop what you’re doing. Oh. My. God.”

  He turned his head and sank his fangs into her inner thigh, drinking deeply. Her taste was sweet, intoxicating, addictive. Orgasm thrummed through her body again, and she shrieked, high and thin.

  This time he couldn’t hold back. He had a name, and that was enough for him to go on if it was all he got from her. Rolling her to her side, he slid in behind her and pushed her thigh forward with his. Then he entered her, quivered as her sweet heat closed over his cock. The position made her passage flex tight around him, and he groaned. He bit the back of her shoulder, let her blood trickle down his throat as he powered into her. She came with his first thrust, and every time he penetrated her pussy, she climaxed again. The rush of her energy over his senses, the taste of her on his tongue, the feel of her clamping down on his dick was as close to perfection as he’d ever been.

  With a hiss, he exploded inside of her, every muscle tensed while he hammered into her slick pussy. The slap of their flesh as his stomach spanked against her ass was an erotic percussion. Her moan was a low, ragged sound as she continued to come around his cock. Retracting his fangs, he licked and kissed her sweat-dampened skin. They each panted for breath, shuddering in the aftermath. He felt her relax by degrees until she was utterly pliant in his arms.

  “Erin?”

  “Yes?” Her voice was soft, hazy with satisfaction. Just the right mindset for him to push for more information. Perhaps it was wrong to take advantage, but with her safety on the line, he was willing to be as ruthless a bastard as he had to.

  Propping himself up on an elbow, he leaned over to look at her. The satiated smile on her face made his chest tighten. “This Asher…he’s a vampire, right?”

  Her eyebrows dipped. “How do you know that?”

  Pressing a kiss to her neck, he stroked her hair back from her face. “Kondan is the name of a vampire family here in Seattle. Not high-ranking or politically influential, but I’m acquainted with them. What makes you think it’s this man stalking you and not someone else?”

  “He has before.” She sighed, the smile sliding off her face. She rolled to her back to meet his gaze. “I have a restraining order against him.”

  Information he hadn’t known. But then, until recently, they hadn’t shared any kind of confidences with each other. He knew her personality, all her sexual proclivities, but not much else. “The hang up calls were him?”

  “Among other things.” Her lips puckered as if she’d tasted something sour.

  “What other things?” He curved his arm around her waist, tucking her closer to him.

  She shut her eyes, sighing. “I hate this.”

  “I know. I’m sorry, tesorina mia.”

  One eye opened. “What does that even mean?”

  He chuckled, kissed her chin, the tip of her nose, her lips. “My tre
asure.”

  She snorted a little laugh. “All right then.”

  Circling a talon around her bellybutton made her shiver, which he enjoyed, but he kept his expression sober. “What else has he done, Erin?”

  Another sigh, and she tucked a hand behind her head. “I feel like I’m being watched sometimes, by someone…malevolent. I thought I heard footsteps following me once, and it freaked me out, but I never saw anyone. And a couple days ago, someone vandalized my car.” She frowned. “Oh, and someone called and switched the order with one of our food suppliers, but I’m not sure if that’s related or not.”

  He filed that away for later. “Go back to the car thing. What did they do?”

  She glanced away from him. “Sliced my tires and carved ‘Normal bitch’ into the driver’s door.”

  Anger flashed through him, and it took several long moments of grinding his teeth to be able to speak without yelling at her. “Tell me you filed a police report.”

  “Of course.” She shrugged. “Insurance wouldn’t have covered the repairs otherwise. I even had Holly call the police department’s Magickal Task Force. A few uniformed cops came out and did their thing, but they don’t have much hope of figuring out who did it. He covered his tracks too well. Even Holly couldn’t sense anything, and you know she was more motivated than any beat cop.”

  He suppressed a growl. “You could have called me.”

  “Nuh-uh.” She shook her head. “I didn’t—and don’t—want you getting tangled up in this hot mess. I promise I’ll pursue the matter more seriously now, but I won’t promise to tell you anything else about it.”

  “Okay, over you go.” He slid his arm under her to flip her onto her stomach. The view was as amazing as ever. He cupped her sweet, rounded backside. “I think you need more convincing.”

  Chapter Ten

  The man had been relentless. Erin sat slumped at her desk the next day, a massive cup of coffee at her elbow. She’d need gallons of it.

  Holly came in, humming under her breath. “What’s up with you? You look wrecked.”

  “Marathon sex.” Erin sighed, closing eyes that were gritty from lack of sleep.

  A twinkle lit her cousin’s gaze. “With secret agent man?”

  Erin grunted in agreement. “Can a vampire mesmerize you without looking you in the eyes?”

  Blinking owlishly, Holly cocked her head to the side. “No, it’s kind of an eye contact thing.”

  “That’s what I thought.” Yep, no easy excuse there. He’d just seduced the information out of her. He hadn’t even bitten her until after she’d given him Asher’s name. She hadn’t been able to hold out against Luca’s version of convincing. A blush scorched her face and she sipped her coffee to cover her flaming cheeks. At least she hadn’t promised to let him get involved. That was a small comfort. “How did things go with wolfman last night?”

  Holly grinned and made a pleased little noise. “He’s picking me up after work tonight.”

  “Wow, two nights in a single week.” Erin sat back and arched an eyebrow. “So we like this one, huh?”

  Her cousin bit her lip, hunching a shoulder. “Yeah, I kind of like him a little. He’s got a good reputation in the pack too, so even Uncle Darren and Aunt Angela would approve.”

  It went without saying they sure as hell wouldn’t approve of Luca. Not that she wanted them to, but still. Holly at least had a chance of something lasting with this new guy—Erin, not so much. That had been the point in the beginning, but now it felt more like it was holding her back than protecting her.

  Maybe it was time to put herself out there and start dating again. Maybe a real relationship was what she wanted. Not with Luca, of course. As far as she knew, he still had his issues with Tess, which meant he was unavailable for anything other than sex. And he was a vampire. She could never forget that. It depressed her to have to keep reminding herself about how they’d never work out, but her heart seemed to need the repetition.

  Of course, any dating or relationships were on hold until she got rid of whoever was harassing her. She needed to make some decisions about that. Soon. Today. Decisions that did not involve a certain tall, dark and Italian vampire.

  Holly looked suddenly anxious. “You liked this wolf when you met him, right? He seemed nice, right?”

  “Yes, very nice. I hope things keep going just as awesomely.” Erin waved her coffee mug in an arch. “This shy routine you have going can only mean the sex is exceptional or you’d have been critiquing his technique by now.”

  “Heh. Yeah.” Holly dimpled. “The man knows how to work with what he’s got, and he’s got plenty to work with.”

  “A high compliment indeed, from the discerning Ms. Holly Kerr,” Erin mocked. The familiarity of yanking her cousin’s chain was a relief considering how much of the rest of her life had gone sideways lately.

  Throwing that knife had wrenched something deep inside her, as had confessing her fears to Luca. Putting it into words made it more real—more terrifying, if that were possible. She wasn’t going to be able to deal with this on her own, that much was clear. The bottom line was she was scared, but she didn’t know if there was something to be scared of or if she was just paranoid. It really could all be just a string of bizarre coincidences. Even her car being vandalized could be some punk Magickal kid rather than a stalker. She didn’t think so, but she needed to know for sure.

  She also didn’t want to dump this on her family. What if she was just being paranoid? The girl who cried wolf to the werewolf pack. Only in this case, it was the girl who cried vampire.

  Even Holly, whom she normally shared everything with, was out. Her cousin hummed happily to herself as she plunked down in front of her laptop to work, a little grin curving her lips about her new romance. Erin couldn’t bring herself to rain on that parade. Especially since it might be for nothing.

  But what should she do? Who should she go to? Not Luca. Maybe he should be on her list, but no matter what had happened yesterday, bringing him into her life as more than just a friend with benefits would complicate things so fast, her head would spin. He worked with Jack. He was a vampire. He was her lover. Casting him in the role of protector and savior would change things forever. She’d told him too much already, and she had no idea how she’d keep him from sticking his nose into this, but she’d think of something. She had to, for her sake and his. But that was a problem for later. Right now, she had to figure out how to get help without making her life an even bigger mess.

  What she needed was someone who would protect her from what might be figments of her imagination, someone who could figure out if the threats she felt were real, and would know how to deal with them if she was right. Someone who wouldn’t judge her or call her crazy if it did turn out to all be in her head. And that someone could not be Luca. She needed an uninvolved party. For better or worse, she and Luca were involved.

  There had to be people besides him who could do that kind of thing for her. Like a bodyguard/investigator. Or an investigator who could recommend a good bodyguard. Or vice versa.

  A memory niggled at the back of her mind. She’d heard of a person like that before, but from whom? Jack would be the most likely to have talked to her about investigating anything, but that didn’t feel right. Who had told her about it?

  Selina. Jack’s wife, who was also a cop. The case she’d been working on when she hooked up with Jack had involved a vampire who was hired to protect people. And kill them, but Erin didn’t think she’d need that. Still, if she was scared enough to knife someone, having someone who was willing to kill to defend her wasn’t a bad thing. The man had been called Gregor something. Selina had tracked him down while he was working for a powerful witch named Millie Standish. She’d had him spying on the Vampire Conclave. That told Erin he’d be willing to go against his own kind, like Asher. Better and better.

  Sitting up straight, she tried to think about possible consequences to this, and didn’t see any that would make it too bad. Expensi
ve, maybe, but Holly and she made good money. Plus, her dad had left her with a nest egg she could use. This just might work. She couldn’t talk to Selina about Gregor, because that would mean involving Jack. Which might result in her family getting dragged into the mix. No thanks. However, by stroke of amazing luck, she’d catered an event for Millie Standish the year before, which meant she had the witch’s phone number and address on file.

  Perfect.

  She opened the program that held her address book, clicking until she came to S for Standish. Glancing at Holly from the corner of her eye, she typed the number into her cell phone.

  “I’ll be back in a minute.” She stood and walked for the door.

  “Mmm.” Holly frowned at her computer, her gaze intent. “Bring some coffee for me when you come back.”

  “Will do.” With that, Erin escaped to place a call that she hoped wouldn’t make her sound so insane that Millie refused to help her.

  A few hours later she was sitting in the parlor of Millie Standish’s sprawling Victorian mansion in Upper Queen Anne, ostensibly to discuss a potential catering job. In reality, Millie had arranged a meeting for her with Gregor Night, who was, in Millie’s words, “a very dangerous and very useful man.” Good. That was exactly the kind of man Erin needed. Stress made her stomach twist in ever-tightening knots, but she didn’t see any way around this. She required help—professional help who knew how to deal with this mess because she was over her head.

  “My dear, it is so lovely to see you again.” Millie swept in with enough elegance to make her look like she belonged in a room like this one.

  Erin stood and allowed the witch to brush air kisses over her cheeks. “Hello, Ms. Standish. Thank you for seeing me.”

  “Not at all, and do call me Millie. Everyone does.” Her voice was crisp, but her grin coquettish. “Everyone I like, that is.”

  “Millie, of course.” Erin wiped her clammy palms discreetly against her black slacks. “When will, uh, Mr. Night be here?”